Book Review: Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake

Book Title & Author: Anna Dressed in Blood (Anna #1) by Kendare Blake
Published by: Tor Teen on October 17th, 2011
Genres: Horror, Paranormal
Pages: 316
Format: Paperback
Source: Purchased
Goodreads
🌟🌟1/2

Synopsis: Cas Lowood has inherited an unusual vocation: He kills the dead.

So did his father before him, until he was gruesomely murdered by a ghost he sought to kill. Now, armed with his father's mysterious and deadly athame, Cas travels the country with his kitchen-witch mother and their spirit-sniffing cat. They follow legends and local lore, destroy the murderous dead, and keep pesky things like the future and friends at bay.

Searching for a ghost the locals call Anna Dressed in Blood, Cas expects the usual: track, hunt, kill. What he finds instead is a girl entangled in curses and rage, a ghost like he's never faced before. She still wears the dress she wore on the day of her brutal murder in 1958: once white, now stained red and dripping with blood. Since her death, Anna has killed any and every person who has dared to step into the deserted Victorian she used to call home.

Yet she spares Cas's life.

Review:
I've had this book on my TBR for a really long time, like for as long as I've been blogging, which is 5 1/2 years, but I only recently got a copy of it. I decided to read it last month because I thought it would be a creepy story, perfect for Halloween. I don't scare easily, so I was hoping that this book would scare me. I really wanted a scary Halloween read.

Unfortunately, the book didn't scare me, although the strongest aspect of the book was the setting. The way the story was told was very creepy, but I felt no chills, no reason to keep turning around to see what was behind me and no real feelings of fear and panic. In a book like this, those are the things I look for and in this case, I actually think it was the characters that weakened the book for me.

I couldn't really connect with Cas or Thomas or Carmel or any of the other characters in this book and I think that was the book's biggest problem. I guess I shouldn't have expected to connect with a ghost killer, but I was hoping. The simple title of "ghost killer" caused me to suspend reality a bit and that threw me off. I mean, logically I know ghosts are already dead, you can't actually kill them. I do actually believe in ghosts and I have seen them before, but Cas (and his father's) job of hunting & killing ghosts was definitely a struggle for me to accept & deal with.

The character development was also not as strong as it could have been and I think that was another reason that I couldn't really connect to the characters. I usually connect to well rounded & well developed characters and with the exception of Anna, I didn't feel like the characters in this book were all that well rounded or well developed. I actually really liked Anna though and she was definitely the most interesting character in the entire book. I was super curious to figure out how she was murdered and thankfully, we got that answered in this book.

Final thoughts: Aside from Anna herself, the characters were not well developed. The setting was creepy though. This book was just not my cup of tea.

YA Horror and Thriller Recommendations

It's officially mid-October, which means it's the most wonderful time of the year--especially for reading! At least where I live, the air is starting to cool off, leaves are falling, fog is rolling in every morning, and the sun is setting earlier and earlier. It's the perfect environment to settle down with something spooky and atmospheric and maybe a bit mysterious. If you're like me and you love to read along with the autumn season, I have a list for you! I love YA horror and thrillers, so I thought I'd recommend some to keep you up at night.

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Horror

Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake. This, like a few others on this list, is an oldie but a goodie. For fans of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Supernatural, this follows Cas, a teenage ghost hunter. He forms a squad, meets a dead girl, and all hell breaks loose. I don't think it's TOO scary but it's definitely got its moments.

Frost by Marianna Baer. This is very much your classic haunted house style of story. Things falling off the walls, strange sounds at night. I really, really liked this one and I can still picture the imagery perfectly in my head. Maybe it's time for a reread.

Tighter by Adele Griffin. I wish more people knew about this! Tighter is a retelling of The Turn of the Screw, in which our semi-unreliable heroine takes a job as a live-in nanny for the summer. From there are spooky shenanigans alongside summer fun, like parties and flirting. The ending is a shocker, too.

Daughters Unto Devils by Amy Lukavics. By far the scariest book I've ever read, this is one I highly recommend if you're looking to be terrified. This is a historical book, about a family who is moving from the mountains to a new cabin on the prairie and something sinister awaits them. It is so scary, I am not even kidding. There IS a trigger warning for pregnancy and infant loss, though.

Unraveling Isobel by Eileen Cook. Another fantastic haunted house story. Isobel moves with her mother to her new stepfather's massive home on some isolated island. The chills are real with this one. Cook employed some fantastic ghost and haunting scenes. I loved it.

Through the Woods by Emily Carroll. So begins our slightly unconventional but still scary list. This is a gorgeous graphic novel. It has multiple scary tales inside and the art is just gorgeous. There is a Bluebeard story in here I thought was incredible. The art really is absolutely beautiful, too. I have this one face-out on my shelves because it's irresistible.

Undead by Kirsty McKay. Zombies! And not only that, but the absolute perfect mix of horror and humor. Seriously, I was cracking up the entire time while reading this. If you like British humor, and a voice like Georgia Nicolson, I think you'll like this. A zombie outbreak in the middle of a school ski trip.

Beware the Wild by Natalie C. Parker. Parker is one of my favorite writers ever, simply because of her sense of atmosphere. She brought this southern town and its mysterious swamp to life in this book. It's spooky without being scary, and just so well crafted. I was obsessed after reading and still am, frankly.

The Call by Peadar O'Guilin. Fae are kind of a big deal in YA right now, but you haven't seen them quite like this. The Sidhe are taking the children and teens of Ireland. At any moment you can be taken to their realm where you have to survive for 24 hours, but it's not as easy as it sounds. The Sidhe maim, disfigure, and torture the kids, and not many make it out alive. It's truly bone-chilling.

Spill Zone by Scott Westerfeld and Alex Puvilland. This graphic novel is probably a bit more science fiction-leaning, but that's fine. It's still utterly spooky and a perfect read for this time of year. There's even a haunting hospital scene that's guaranteed to chill you to the bone.

Thrillers

The Loneliest Girl in the Universe by Lauren James. This one is also science fiction, about a girl living all alone on a spaceship headed for a new planet to colonize. Then, something changes and she's not alone anymore. There are so many twists and turns, and if you're like me at all, space is scary enough on its own. This is perfect for those who don't want to be too terrified, but like a good mystery. 

Dangerous Girls by Abigail Haas. I can't let a thriller post go by without mention of the ultimate in YA thrillers. Dangerous Girls is set over the summer in Aruba, after the main character's best friend is found murdered. What follows is an incredible narrative that keeps you guessing, keeps your heart pounding to the very end. Also, not scary one bit, this one is for the babies who can't handle spooky (like me.)

Follow Me Back by A.V. Geiger. This is a story about an agoraphobic girl and a rising pop star falling in love over social media. But there are police reports scattered in between chapters that let you know something is not quite right. I thought this was so much fun and the ending was chilling! Just don't read the sequel lol.

A Good Idea by Cristina Moracho. When Fin's best friend Betty is killed, and her confessed killer is set free, Fin returns home to get to the bottom of things and find justice for Betty. The atmosphere is really gripping and there are wisps of ghostly happenings that keep you turning the pages. Bonus points for a sex positive message and a bisexual heroine who gets it on with guys and girls throughout the book.

Sadie by Courtney Summers. You've likely been hearing about this nonstop since it came out last month, but yes, it really is that good. I highly recommend the audio, since half the book is written in podcast format anyway. This is a murder mystery and a revenge story, absolutely perfect for true crime lovers out there.

Complicit by Stephanie Kueh. This one is on the list of all-time favorite thrillers. It's a master class in unreliability, honestly. The main character's older sister is spectacularly terrible throughout the book, but this whole story wants you to stop judging for a second and pay attention. The ending will rock you.

The Devil You Know by Trish Doller. This one follows a girl who makes the monumentally stupid decision to go on a road trip/hike/canoe trip with two guys she just met, and one of them is, well, let's just say he's Not Nice. What I find particularly chilling about The Devil You Know is its plausibility in the real world. It can, and has happened.

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What are some of your favorite scary stories? Do you go right for the horror of it all or are you more like me and you need something a bit more tame for those long, dark nights?

Book Review: Nightingale by Amy Lukavics

Nightingale by Amy Lukavics
Published by Harlequin Teen on September 25th, 2018
Genres: Historical, horror, sci-fi
Format: Hardcover
Source: Purchased
Goodreads
🌟🌟🌟.5

At seventeen, June Hardie is everything a young woman in 1951 shouldn’t be—independent, rebellious, a dreamer. June longs to travel, to attend college and to write the dark science fiction stories that consume her waking hours. But her parents only care about making June a better young woman. Her mother grooms her to be a perfect little homemaker while her father pushes her to marry his business partner’s domineering son. When June resists, her whole world is shattered—suburbia isn’t the only prison for different women…

June’s parents commit her to Burrow Place Asylum, aka the Institution. With its sickening conditions, terrifying staff and brutal “medical treatments,” the Institution preys on June’s darkest secrets and deepest fears. And she’s not alone. The Institution terrorizes June’s fragile roommate, Eleanor, and the other women locked away within its crumbling walls. Those who dare speak up disappear…or worse. Trapped between a gruesome reality and increasingly sinister hallucinations, June isn’t sure where her nightmares end and real life begins. But she does know one thing: in order to survive, she must destroy the Institution before it finally claims them all.

Amy Lukavics' books are scary as shit. She has really set the bar for YA horror these days. There just simply isn't anyone like her in the field right now, able to capture character, voice, and chills all at the same time. While I didn't find Nightingale to be perfect by any means, I still highly recommend it for its originality, its representation (both for mental health and for wlw), and for its scare factor. I guarantee you've never read a book quite like this.

I had to admit I was a bit apprehensive about starting this. It's a horror novel set at an asylum. Usually such a setting is prime breeding ground for ableism. The patients themselves are the scary ones. I am so happy and relieved to report that this is not the case in Nightingale. The patients are treated horribly in this "hospital" but they are also the main characters. June finds a group of friends in Burrow Place and they are sympathetic, realistic people who are being victimized--and who fight back. The real villains are the doctors and the nurses. It was so refreshing. So if you're worried about the typical tropes that come with asylum-based horror, you don't have to worry about that here.

I really liked June. I thought she carried the story perfectly. She was always just so interesting and deeply flawed, and, at times, completely unreliable. She was a writer, of sci-fi! Of course, in the 1950s that wasn't exactly becoming of a teenage girl. Her parents had certain expectations of her, and writing about aliens and spaceships just didn't fit into those limits at all. I think it'd be great to say that June just bucked those expectations and forged out on her own; instead, though, she was much more realistic than that. Anyone who has been in a situation even similar to hers knows how hard it is to disappoint your family. You know how hard it is sometimes to be brave and individual. June struggled with her family's approval and reconciling that with her own dreams. As a reader, it's easy to get caught up in June's struggle here and immediately shift the blame to her parents when it comes to June's hospitalization. But June is just so unreliable, leaving so many key details out, that you just can't tell if she's being institutionalized for her "hysteria" or if something's really wrong here.

This book is not for those with a weak stomach, I have to say. There is a lot of grossness, a lot of gore. There are brains and bugs and lots of blood. Needles, gruesome deaths, lobotomies. There were also some truly terrifying, chilling moments, moments that have you feeling trapped and claustrophobic and hopeless. It was not an easy read.

One thing I really wish was that I had a closer connection to the side characters. There were quite a few of them. The girls in the Institution with June kind of blended together for me. There were only two that really stuck out to me, Simpson, the artist, and Eleanor, June's roommate and love interest. We got a pretty bleak first impression of Eleanor and I think for me it was hard to get past it. I wanted to ship the ship but there was so much else going on that I didn't think there was enough time to dedicate to the romance. It came on really quickly for me. And I hate that because I always want to root for the f/f ships.

Without giving too much away, Nightingale reminds me of a classic sci-fi/horror novel. It has a feeling of nostalgia that we don't see much these days, and I thought it was such a cutting, precise commentary and condemnation of American culture, especially with regards to women and women's rights. So timely, given our current political climate. If you're looking for a good scare, a compelling plot, and something that gets your brain going, this one is definitely for you.

Book Review: The Dark Beneath the Ice by Amelinda Berube

Book Title & Author: The Dark Beneath the Ice by Amelinda Berube
Published by: Sourcebooks Fire on August 7th, 2018
Genre: Horror, Paranormal
Pages: 320
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
Goodreads
🌟🌟🌟
Synopsis: Something is wrong with Marianne. 

It's not just that her parents have split up, or that life hasn't been the same since she quit dancing. Or even that her mother has checked herself into the hospital. 
She's losing time. Doing things she would never do. And objects around her seem to break whenever she comes close. 
Something is after her. But a first attempt at an exorcism calls down the full force of the thing's rage. It demands Marianne give back what she stole. And Marianne must uncover the truth that lies beneath it all before the nightmare can take what it think it's owed, leaving Marianne trapped in the darkness of the other side.

Review:
I had been looking for a really good horror book lately, so I was excited to pick this one up. It looked really good and I couldn't help but be excited just based off the cover alone. The cover pulls you right in and that's what first excited me about this book.

So I dove into the book with excitement and high expectations. Maybe I shouldn't have had such high expectations because while it was an okay book, it was nothing like I was hoping it would be. The writing was actually my favorite part because it was so atmospheric and creepy. It actually reminded me of Nova Ren Suma's writing. I don't think I've ever read another book where the writing was like Suma's.

I did like that Marianne had an aunt that was so present in her life. We don't get to see extended family much in YA, so I feel like whenever we do, I have to at least make a mention of it. Marianne's Aunt Jen was a good surprise and I actually liked how she interacted with Marianne and how she interacted with her troubled sister.

I couldn't stand Marianne's father. In fact, I felt like he was a selfish man who ran when things got hard. And by things, I mean his wife's mental health. He called his wife's "episodes" Hurricane Laura. I mean, how much more unsupportive could he be? When he called Marianne's mom "Hurricane Laura" I almost always wanted to slap him. I know it's not easy to live with someone who has mental health issues, but he married her for better or worse and when things got "worse" he ran like a bat out of hell. Ugh, I cannot STAND that.

My heart broke for Marianne's mother. I couldn't imagine being so afraid of hurting people I loved. I couldn't imagine what was going on in her head. I couldn't imagine hoe scared she must have been when certain things started happening and she thought she was the cause of them. And to have her husband just walk out on her like that. Just because she was struggling with her mental health.

What I wasn't expecting was Marianne's romance subplot, but oh my god, I think I loved it more than I expected to. It was grin-worthy. I don't think I've ever used that phrase before, certainly not in a review, but I loved this romance. It brought some peace to the insanity that was Marianne's life.

I ended up being really disappointed by the horror/paranormal aspects of this book. I cannot believe I have to say this, but I was expecting something much scarier as the book continued on, and in fact, it got less scary and more confusing as the book went on.

Final thoughts: This book disappointed me in the paranormal/horror aspects, but for people who scare easily, this is a decent book to dip your toe in if you want to try horror. 

Book Review: Baby Teeth by Zoje Stage

Book Title & Author: Baby Teeth by Zoje Stage
Published by: St. Martin's Press on July 17th, 2018
Genre: Horror
Pages: 320
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
Goodreads
🌟🌟🌟

Synopsis:Sweetness can be deceptive. 

Meet Hanna.

She’s the sweet-but-silent angel in the adoring eyes of her Daddy. He’s the only person who understands her, and all Hanna wants is to live happily ever after with him. But Mommy stands in her way, and she’ll try any trick she can think of to get rid of her. Ideally for good.

Meet Suzette.

She loves her daughter, really, but after years of expulsions and strained home schooling, her precarious health and sanity are weakening day by day. As Hanna’s tricks become increasingly sophisticated, and Suzette's husband remains blind to the failing family dynamics, Suzette starts to fear that there’s something seriously wrong, and that maybe home isn’t the best place for their baby girl after all.

Review:
Okay, first thing you should know is that this is an Adult title. I would definitely, DEFINITELY not classify it as YA. I don't generally read a lot of adult titles, so this was a change in direction for me. Doesn't hurt that my mom read it right before me and LOVED it. My mom & I have similar tastes in books, so I was fully prepared to love it just like she did.

I didn't love it. I liked it, but I didn't love it.

There were some startling similarities with my own life, which really threw me for a loop. Suzette's health problem was Crohn's Disease and my teen brother was just diagnosed with that in April 2017. So whenever she talked about her health, I was able to follow it and it wasn't like she was speaking a foreign language or anything. Also, the book takes place in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania Squirrel Hill. My grandmother grew up near there and my great aunt still lives near there. I haven't been there since I was little, but I was still startled by that.

Alex was the weakest link in this whole book. I kept calling him a wuss because he was just blinded by how perfectly Hanna acted in front of him and he couldn't imagine her behaving the way Suzette said she was behaving. I desperately wanted him to stand up for Suzette and stop letting Hanna manipulate the situation. It just drove me bananas. It was infuriating how he couldn't see Hanna's behavior and the only reason he couldn't see it was that he was always working. I so badly wanted Suzette to tell him she was going on a trip and that he had to stay home with Hanna. But then I would realize that Hanna would never show Alex her dark side. Because she loved her Daddy and Mommy was a Bad Mommy.

Mommy was a Bad Mommy because she wouldn't go away and leave Hanna alone with her Daddy. That was what Hanna wanted most of all. For her Mommy to go away and for it to be just Hanna & Daddy together. I started to wonder if there was something sexual going on between Hanna & Alex and the only reason I wondered that was because of a particularly graphic scene that involved Hanna in a sexual scenario. I would love to say more about that scene, but it kinda gives stuff away, so I won't say anything more. 

Hanna is mute except for when she informs Suzette that she's not Hanna. She's Marie-Anne Doufosset. At this point, I start to wonder if something else entirely is going on. As the book continues, we learn more about Marie-Anne and who she is and why Hanna is so fixated on her.

"Nobody approved of the ways she had fun."

 Hanna's schemes go from relatively harmless to downright dangerous and I start to actually worry that she might actually do what she set out to do-kill her own mother. The ways Hanna has fun would make any normal child or adult absolutely horrified. There's a lot in this book that creeps me out, but there's one particular thing she does near the end of the book that made me cringe and made me feel exactly what Suzette was going through.

The ending was hugely anti-climatic and it really brought the book down for me, rating wise. I wanted more from the ending. It did leave it open for a sequel though, so we'll have to see if that happens.

Final thoughts: Overall, this book was good. Hanna was written super well and I actually felt like she was the most developed character. There were some slow parts & the fact that I don't think Suzette nor Alex were as well developed as they could have been. Plus, the ending was disappointing.